Cotton foundation tour comes to Texas

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Producers from across the Cotton Belt gain insight in production practices from other regions, thanks to the Producer Information Exchange (P.I.E.) program, sponsored by the National cotton Council with support from Bayer CropScience.

In spite of a Texas heat wave, nine cotton producers from California and Arizona traveled across Texas to participate in the National Cotton Council’s Southwest Producer Information Exchange (P.I.E.) program, the last of four regional events this year designed to help cotton producers interact with growers from other regions.

The program is designed to help cotton producers boost their overall operational efficiency by gaining new perspectives in fundamental practices like land preparation, planting, fertilization, pest control, irrigation and harvesting while discovering and sharing unique ways to utilize new technology and methods.

"Twenty five years ago when this information exchange program was started, a lot of growers from different areas across the cotton belt were interested in how producers in other regions were working through problems and what solutions to common problems they had discovered. So they decided the best way to collectively solve problems would be to travel to other regions and share information," said Rick King, Texas representative for the National Cotton Council (NCC), who traveled with Western cotton producers throughout the four-day PIE event in the Lone Star State.

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King has been a part of the Producer Information Exchange (P.I.E.) since its creation, and says since its inception, some 1,050 participants have traveled to various regions in an exchange program that has helped the industry grow and also helped to develop lasting relationships between producers of different growing regions.

"As a group of growers we knew we would need a good sponsor for such an aggressive program and Bayer CropScience came forward and has supported the exchange for the last 25 years," King added. "Without their assistance, much of this program would not have been possible and we enjoy a great relationship with them and are honored to have them as our anchor sponsor."